Each year I get a lot of great comments on my Christmas lights. Thank you. I work hard on it.

Right after the “great lights Zak” usually comes some comment like “too much work blah blah blah I didn’t put lights up.” So, I thought I’d share my little Christmas lights hacks to help you out a little. They aren’t much, but they’ve made a BIG difference for me.

BEFORE you unwrap. When you get new lights, pull them out of the box and plug them in to test them BEFORE you unwrap and unroll them. A strand of lights is IMPOSSIBLE to put back into the box. This way, if the strand is bad, it will go back into the box easily for a fast return at the store.

Storage. Roll up each individual strand and put it in a plastic sack. Pack them flat on top of each other in a box or rubbermaid tub. Sure you can buy all kinds of storage tubs for $25 that hold 5 strands…or you can do this for free, get the same result, and store way more lights in a smaller space.

Hanging lights on tall trees. You don’t need a HUGE ladder. Just some PVC and screws. This is how I put my lights in the trees. Check out the pic. When it comes time to take the lights down, DO NOT yank on them. I tore up a tree pretty bad one year doing that. Use the same PVC stick to get the lights down.

Get ‘em while they’re cheap! There is no need to pay a lot for lights! Be sure to hit the sales after Christmas day and get lights for 88 cents a strand instead of $3-8 each. You will have to store them for the year, but you’re probably storing a bunch of Christmas junk already anyway.

Buy a timer. The BEST Christmas light display investment I ever made was buying two timers. I got them on sale after Christmas one year dirt cheap. December is such a busy time of the year that often you may not be home to turn the lights on or off manually. Hook them up to a timer and let it do the work for you. I usually set mine to be on from 5:30pm-midnight and then again from 6:00am to 7:30am.

Hope these little tips help you out next year!